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Helldivers 2

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Helldivers 2 (stylized as Helldivers II) is a 2024 online tactical third-person shooter video game developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and PC. It is the sequel to 2015's Helldivers.

Helldivers 2 takes place in a satirical, futuristic setting in which mankind is ruled by the "managed democracy" of Super Earth, approximately a century after the events of the first game. Players take the roles of Helldivers, expendable elite soldiers who fight and die to protect the rest of humanity from various enemy factions. Helldivers 2 is a tactical shooter presented from a third-person perspective, unlike its predecessor which was designed as an isometric top-down shooter. Missions focus on cooperative gameplay between up to four players, who are encouraged to coordinate their actions and tactics together to eliminate enemies and complete objectives. Helldivers 2 carries over several hallmarks of the first game, including permanent friendly-fire and a feature called stratagems, which summon specific tools and abilities to the team's side.

Arrowhead began work on Helldivers 2 in 2016, with development lasting for nearly 8 years; Helldivers 2 became the studio's first AAA production. The game's shift in camera perspective was meant to convey a more intimate experience for the player, and enhance the cooperative nature of the gameplay. Arrowhead chose to use the Stingray game engine for Helldivers 2, which they previously used for its predecessor. The game was leaked several times prior to its official announcement in May 2023, and was eventually released in February 2024. Since it release, Arrowhead continued to support the game with numerous post-launch content updates.

Helldivers 2 received generally positive reviews, with praise for its presentation, visuals, intense gameplay, learning curve, humor and high entertainment value as a cooperative multiplayer title, though it also received criticism for several technical issues and limited amount of content present during its launch period. Despite relatively low visibility prior to launch, Helldivers 2 enjoyed significant commercial success, selling over 12 million copies by May 2024 and becoming Sony's fastest-selling title. The game became the subject of viral videos and internet memes attributing to its humorous gameplay.

Gameplay[]

Helldivers 2 pre release gameplay

Screenshot of pre-release gameplay footage, showcasing the third-person perspective shift and the game's heads-up display and shooting mechanics.

Helldivers 2 is an online tactical shooter video game with emphasis on co-op gameplay, strategy and teamwork. Helldivers 2 is presented from an over the shoulder, third-person perspective; a shift from its 2015 predecessor Helldivers, which was a top-down stick shooter with a fixed, isometric camera. Players take the roles of Helldivers, expandable elite soldiers sent to far away planets to combat alien invaders and other threats that loom over Super Earth.

Helldivers 2 features a high degree of character customization for the player, allowing for various cosmetic changes to the player's avatar and a variety of weapons and tools that can be selected before and during missions. Players are encouraged to use weapons befitting certain enemies and mission designs, such as anti-armor shells against armored aliens. A core tool for the player is the stratagems, special tools and abilities that can be used with specific button combinations and help the team during a fight.[1]

Similar to Helldivers, Helldivers 2 includes a permanent friendly fire feature, with every tool at the player's disposal can eliminate their teammates intentionally or by accident.

Synopsis[]

Setting[]

Helldivers 2 takes place in a science fiction universe, in which humanity is now united under the "managed democracy" of Super Earth. The Helldivers are elite soldiers sent by Super Earth to fight the Galactic War and protect the planet and humanity from various alien and foreign threats. The game's event take place approximately a century after the events of Helldivers (2015).

Plot[]

In the introduction cinematic of Helldivers 2, a spokesman (Craig Lee Thomas) presents a propaganda about Super Earth's values and mission to recruit new candidates for the Helldivers. Afterwards, the player as a new Helldivers recruit goes through a short boot camp sequence, after which they are deployed to fight in the Galactic War.

Development[]

Johan Pilestedt 2021

Johan Pilestedt (pictured 2021), CEO and co-founder of Arrowhead Game Studios, served as creative director on Helldivers 2, a role he reprised from Helldivers and previous Arrowhead titles.

Helldivers 2 is developed by Arrowhead Game Studios and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for the PlayStation 5 and PC. Arrowhead president and co-founder Johan Pilestedt reprises his role as creative director from 2015's Helldivers, while artist Mikael Eriksson who joined Arrowhead in 2021 serves as game director.[2] Development on Helldivers 2 began in 2016, with some work tracing back to 2015.[3][4]

Helldivers 2 went gold on January 18, 2023.[5]

Design[]

According to assistant director Sagar Beroshi, one of the core design pillars of Helldivers 2 was, in his words, "to be able to play a game with friends that is full of crazy fun chaos". This design pillar was interpreted within the game as making players feel like a "lowly grunt that has been given access to insane firepower in a crazy totalitarian system, and is being pointed at a series of enemies", which Beroshi referred to as an "in-universe" model versus the design pillar's "out of the universe" model. To further bring the two models together, Arrowhead settled on a third-person perspective opposed to the first game's top-down isometric camera.[6]

Technology[]

By December 2015, Arrowhead began looking into Epic Games's Unreal Engine, though the studio's chief technology officer Anton Stenmark noted that they had early mixed opinions on the engine; though Stenmark found that in some aspects Unreal was smoother to work with than Autodesk's Stingray (which powered the first game), he also considered it more "restrictive".[7] The team ultimately went with Stingray, significantly modified to accommodate Helldivers 2's scope and perspective shift.[8]

Music[]

The score of Helldivers 2 was composed by Wilbert Roget.[9]

Release[]

Arrowhead first acknowledged the title in December 2020 as a "next-generation third-person cooperative shooter" for ninth-generation consoles and personal computers, though it did not reveal its identity as a Helldivers game at the time.[10] Helldivers 2 was announced at Sony's PlayStation Showcase, in May 2023; for a 2023 release window on both PlayStation 5 and personal computers.[11][12] A second trailer was released in July 2023, explaining the combat and co-op features of the game.[13] A third trailer showcasing a co-op mission against a boss fight was released in September 2023 as part of a State of Play presentation; at the end of the trailer Sony announced that Helldivers 2 was delayed from its original 2023 window to February 8, 2024.[14] Pre-orders opened on September 22, 2023.[15] A new trailer and information about the game's PC features and crossplay functions were released on January 9, 2024.[16] The game's launch trailer was released on January 16, 2024.[17]

A gameplay overview trailer was released on January 23, 2024.[18] A trailer delving into the game's Warbond feature was released on January 30,[19] followed by an additional trailer at a State of Play the day after.[20] Hands-on previews were released on February 2, 2024.[21]

Editions[]

Helldivers 2 is slated to be released with a retail release and two digital editions.[22]

  • Standard Edition (physical and digital)
    • Helldivers 2 base game
  • Super Citizen Edition (digital only)
    • Helldivers 2 base game
    • “DP-53 Savior of the Free” armor set
    • “Will of the People” cape
    • “MP-98 Knight” weapon
    • “Super Citizen” status
    • “Stratagem Hero” ship game
    • “Steeled Veterans” premium warbond

Player who purchase the game prior to its release receive pre-order bonuses in the form of three armors.

  • “TR-7 Ambassador of the Brand” – Promotional armor made by SUMY Corp. as part of a highly successful marketing campaign for frozen yogurt.
  • “TR-62 Knight” – Crafted to deliver Justice to the darkest crevices of the galaxy.
  • “TR-9 Cavalier of Democracy” – Bearers of this armor ride no equine mount, but are nonetheless borne to battle atop the trusty steed of Liberty.

Post-release[]

Following its release in February 2024, Helldivers 2 was continued to be supported by Arrowhead with post-launch content updates. The game's first large-scale content update, Escalation of Freedom, was announced on July 23, 2024, and is set to release on August 6. Escalation of Freedom introduces a new difficulty level called "Super Helldive", new mission structures and objectives, and new Terminid and Automaton enemy types.[23][24]

Reception[]

Pre-release[]

GameSpot's Claire Lewis described the visuals of the announcement trailer as "detailed" and "smooth".[25] Nier creator Yoko Taro tweeted his interest in the game, calling its Starship Troopers presentation "refreshing".[26]

In a hands-on preview after three hours with the game, IGN's Travis Northup complimented Arrowhead's transition into the third-person shooter genre, appreciating the ability to witness Helldivers' humorous carnage from a closer perspective. While expressing concern for the game's amount of content, lack of a roadmap and the variety of the procedurally generated maps, Northup praised the variety within the two enemy factions he encountered, the Starship Troopers influences, and concluded that Helldivers 2 was a "wonderfully silly shooter" with potential.[27] Push Square's Liam Croft noted that Helldivers 2 lacked the depth of other online titles, but believed the game used it for its advantage by putting primary focus on fun and mayhem.[28] Tech Radar's Jake Tucker called Helldivers 2 "almost irresistible" for combining the elements of its predecessor with a refined third-person perspective.[29]

Reception[]

  • Metacritic: 82/100 (PS5); 82/100 (PC)
  • Eurogamer: 4/5[30]
  • Game Informer: 9/10[31]
  • GameSpot: 9/10[32]
  • GamesRadar: 4/5[33]
  • Guardian: 4/5[34]
  • PC Gamer: 8.6/10[35]
  • PlayStation Universe: 9/10[36]
  • Push Square: 9/10[37]

Helldivers 2 received generally positive reviews; on review aggregator site Metacritic, the PlayStation 5 version holds a score of 82/100 based on 56 scored reviews, while the PC version holds a score of 82/100 based on 33 scored reviews. It is the highest-rated release from Arrowhead Game Studios on the site.[38][39] IGN's Will Borger described Helldivers 2 as "hilarious, smartly designed, and intense", and perceived it as a modern multiplayer release that "does almost everything right" thanks to its player agency, game mechanics and progression system. GameSpot's Jordan Ramée called Helldivers 2 "incredible", and offered praise for Arrowhead's successful perspective shift from the previous game's top-down camera, believing that in the process the game managed to "carve out a place for itself" within the live-service scene. Eurogamer's Emma Kent called Helldivers 2 a "wonderfully slapstick co-op experience" in spite of matchmaking issues, while Guardian's Keith Stuart called it "[a] stupendously entertaining joyride", and considered Helldivers 2 his most enjoyable time with a co-op title since Left 4 Dead and Gears of War.

On the change from a top-down shooter to a third-person camera perspective, GamesRadar's Rick Lane argued that it added "enormous" appreciation for the game's action, and allowed for a sense of scale. Game Informer's Sarah Thwaites said that despite the camera shift, Helldivers 2 managed to maintain the same "frenetic, ballistic loop" of its predecessor. Guardian's Stuart felt that Helldivers 2 "benefits immensely" from its new camera, citing the newfound verticality of the maps.

The core gameplay mechanics and controls received highly positive reactions. Push Square's Aaron Bayne praised the controls and mechanics for being "impressively tuned in", and favorably compared it to 2020's The Last of Us Part II as among the "best-feeling and best-controlling third-person shooters". IGN's Borger called the shooting mechanics "satisfyingly weighty", and appreciated the various "little touches" such as limb damage and aiming accuracy that added to the combat scenarios. Eurogamer's Kent echoed Borger's impressions, while Game Informer's Thwaites summarized the controls as "fluid and reactive". The weapon selection and identity was also lauded, with GameSpot's Ramée praising how "Every weapon [...] feels suitably dangerous to fire", as well as offering praise for the balancing between weapon and enemy classes. Guardian's Stuart praised the weaponry as "chunky, varied and impactful".

The humor and tone were met with acclaim, with numerous outlets noting its influence by Starship Troopers; GamesRadar's Lane praised the game as a "pinpoint Starship Troopers pastiche". GameSpot's Ramée called it Helldivers 2's strongest asstet, though he also felt some of the deliberate jokes were "hit-or-miss". Eurogamer's Kent observed that despite the larger scope and new camera of the sequel, Helldivers 2 maintained the "satirical spirit" of its predecessor. PC Gamer's Jon Bailes admitted the Starship Troopers influence was "little more than a pale impression", but felt it complimented the action well enough and allowed for "frequent hilarity". Of particular note, the tutorial level - which was designed as a boot camp parody - was highly praised for its comical nature, with IGN's Borger calling it "gut-busting" and "one of the funniest tutorials I’ve ever played".

The emergent situations and comical scenarios resulting in from the gameplay also received widespread acclaim. Game Informer's Thwaites called the "exciting unpredictability" of Helldivers 2 the game's best feature, noting how mistakes in the game could lead to "devastating, hilarious fashion". Eurogamer's Kent concurred, noting that instead of making the game "annoying", it allowed turning Helldivers 2 into a "comedy of errors". GameSpot's Ramée highlighted how unintentional moves that resulted in him and his teammates dying "left me wheezing with laughter" after every session, and praised the implementation of friendly-fire for turning it into an "absurd joke".

Numerous critics praised the cooperative design of Helldivers 2, though IGN's Borger believed it was the game's biggest "caveat" as the game was not balanced for solo play. GameSpot's Ramée said "Helldivers 2 is "clearly meant to be experienced with communicative allies at your side", and that it made for a "far more enjoyable" experience than playing solo. Push Square's Bayne deemed teamwork "utterly essential" for completing objectives, and that it made the game a "genuine blast to play with friends". Ramée found fault in the ping system, believing that it "Gets the job done", it was ill-suited for more complex communications between players.

The Stratagems feature was widely praised for its effectiveness and visual flare. Push Square's Bayne called them the "special sauce" of Helldivers 2, and that their inclusion helped making combat situation feels more "consistently epic and cinematic", likening the experience to its inspirations. GamesRadar's Lane praised the visual spectacle of Stratagems such as airstrikes and bombardments for being "astonishing to behold". GameSpot's Ramée enjoyed the flexibility of the mechanic, noting that the game did not punish players for choosing their favorite Stratagems over ones better fitting a mission. Eurogamer's Kent liked the key combination mechanic, as it added tension to gameplay sessions and required gradual learning curve that made it "hugely satisfying" once a Stratagem input is successfully launched.

In regards to the visuals, Push Square's Bayne said Helldivers 2 was "absolutely stunning" and praised its "solid" performance. Eurogamer's Kent appreciated the visual variety of the maps and their respective weather effects which created "incredible atmosphere". PC Gamer's Bailes felt the visuals, in addition to the audio, felt "spot on" and gave each location its own personality.

While generally positively-received, multiple outlets cited the matchmaking, connection and server issues present at launch as Helldivers 2's biggest flaw. Eurogamer's Kent called the launch period "particularly rocky", while GamesRadar's Lane called it "rough", and the server issues "substantial". Push Square's Bayne described Helldivers 2 as "littered with issues" relating to matchmaking, game crashes and inconsistent reward system, and deemed them the "main detractor" of the overall experience, though he noted he himself was spared some of those technical issues. IGN's Borger noted similar matchmaking and connection issues, and experienced several times of the game's framerate pummeling; he noted that at the time of his review, Arrowhead had already began to fix some of those issues.

Commercial performance[]

By February 9, Helldivers 2 reached a peak of over 81,000 concurrent players on Steam, beating the record set by the 2022 PC port of God of War to become Sony's most concurrently played title on the platform. [40] Two weeks after its release, Helldivers 2 reached a peak of 458,709 concurrent players on Steam charts, surpassing Destiny 2's record.[41] On February 11, Pilestedt stated on his Twitter account that the game sold "around a million", and was "blowing through the estimates".[42] In a conversation with Bloomberg, analyst Doug Creutz estimated that Helldivers 2 sold over 8 million copies by March 2024.[43]

Helldivers 2 surpassed 12 million copies by May 8, 2024. It became the fastest-selling title published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, breaking the record set by 2022's God of War Ragnarök within the same timeframe.[44]

PSN account controversy[]

Gallery[]

Media[]

Trailers[]

References[]

  1. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/07/sony-calls-in-a-tactical-supply-drop-of-helldivers-2-ps5-pc-gameplay-and-it-looks-stunning
  2. ↑ Linkedin account
  3. ↑ Timeline - Arrowhead Game Studios.
    "After a hectic 2015, 2016 was taken at a more leisurely pace. We had just started the unannounced project (little did we know that six years later it would still be unannounced…)."
  4. ↑ https://www.arrowheadgamestudios.com/2023/05/helldivers-2-coming-in-2023/
  5. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/01/helldivers-2-has-gone-gold-ready-to-fight-back-the-alien-hordes-on-ps5-pc
  6. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/02/third-person-view-makes-helldivers-2-more-immersive-better-game-feel
  7. ↑ https://www.digitalmediaworld.tv/games/119-arrowhead-game-studios-plays-to-win
  8. ↑ https://www.resetera.com/threads/helldivers-2-ot-starship-bloopers.813864/post-118782339
  9. ↑ @WilbertRoget: "At long last, #Helldivers2 has launched! So proud of the work @ArrowheadGS put into it, and honored to write its brazen military sci-fi score. As a treat for fans, here’s a music video of the main theme, “A Cup of Liber-Tea”! (edited by @zaidtmusic, full ver below)", Twitter. Posted February 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ https://www.arrowheadgamestudios.com/2020/12/arrowhead-game-studios-is-working-on-a-next-generation-3rd-person-cooperative-shooter/
  11. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/05/24/helldivers-2-drops-on-playstation-5-later-this-year/
  12. ↑ https://www.polygon.com/23736474/helldivers-2-announced
  13. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2023/07/06/first-details-on-helldivers-2-co-op-and-combat-gameplay/
  14. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2023/09/helldivers-2-is-absolutely-bursting-with-bugs-squads-up-on-ps5-pc-in-february
  15. ↑ https://mp1st.com/news/helldivers-2-pre-orders-are-live-40-for-standard-edition-and-60-for-super-citizen-edition
  16. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/01/09/helldivers-2-pc-specifications-and-crossplay-support-details-revealed/
  17. ↑ https://www.ign.com/videos/helldivers-2-official-launch-trailer
  18. ↑ https://www.ign.com/videos/helldivers-2-official-gameplay-overview-trailer
  19. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/01/unleash-democratic-carnage-with-warbonds-in-helldivers-2-on-ps5
  20. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/01/31/everything-revealed-in-the-january-2024-state-of-play/
  21. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/02/02/helldivers-2-hands-on-report-chaotic-co-op-and-empowering-stratagems/
  22. ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2023/09/helldivers-ii-digital-pre-orders-now-available
  23. ↑ https://blog.playstation.com/2024/07/23/helldivers-2s-biggest-update-yet-escalation-of-freedom-drops-august-6/
  24. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/07/biggest-helldivers-2-ps5-pc-update-yet-deploys-on-6th-august
  25. ↑ https://www.gamespot.com/articles/helldivers-2-announced-with-gameplay-trailer-at-2023-playstation-showcase/1100-6514527/
  26. ↑ https://twitter.com/yokotaro/status/1661535704151896065
  27. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/helldivers-2-the-final-preview
  28. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/features/preview-helldivers-2-utterly-revels-in-its-chaotic-bug-battles
  29. ↑ https://www.techradar.com/gaming/helldivers-2-preview
  30. ↑ Kent, Emma. Helldivers 2 review - team kills and bug-stomping thrills, Eurogamer. Published February 14, 2024.
  31. ↑ Thwaites, Sarah. Helldivers 2 Review - Bullet Heaven, Game Informer. Published February 19, 2024.
  32. ↑ Ramée, Jordan. Helldivers 2 Review - Starship Bloopers, GameSpot. Published February 15, 2024.
  33. ↑ Lane, Rick. Helldivers 2 review: "Astonishing to behold", GamesRadar+. Published February 14, 2024.
  34. ↑ Stuart, Keith. Helldivers 2 review – the most fun I’ve had with a co-op shooter since Left 4 Dead, Guardian. Published February 14, 2024.
  35. ↑ Bailes, Jon. Helldivers 2 review, PC Gamer. Published February 15, 2024.
  36. ↑ Jones, John-Paul. Helldivers 2 Review (PS5) – A Voraciously Entertaining Squad Shooter With A Solid Blueprint For The Future, PlayStation Universe. Published February 12, 2024.
  37. ↑ Bayne, Aaron. Helldivers 2 Review, Push Square. Published February 13, 2024.
  38. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/helldivers-2/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-5
  39. ↑ https://www.metacritic.com/game/helldivers-2/critic-reviews/?platform=pc
  40. ↑ https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2024/02/helldivers-2-is-blowing-up-sonys-biggest-ever-pc-launch
  41. ↑ Helldivers 2 vs Destiny - Helldivers 2 Leaves Destiny 2 and GTA V in the Dust
  42. ↑ https://insider-gaming.com/helldivers-2-estimates-sales/
  43. ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2024-03-15/-helldivers-2-is-a-surprise-hit-for-sony-in-an-oversaturated-market?sref=P6Q0mxvj
  44. ↑ https://www.gematsu.com/2024/05/helldivers-ii-sales-top-12-million
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